Adnan Jehangir featuring a child living happily before acid attack

Volunteer stories

RuthAnn Fanstone, Burns Therapy

RuthAnn Fanstone is an experienced physiotherapist who volunteers her skills with ASTI and the ASF’s as much as her free time permits. In 2009 ASTI called on her to visit the Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan (ASF-P) and the Acid Survivors Foundation Uganda (ASF-U). As part of her visits, she worked closely with staff in the assessment and treatment of acid survivor patients, and shared her skills and experience in training sessions with the local staff as well as other local practitioners who had been invited.

I caught up with her recently to reminisce about her visit to the ASF centre in Islamabad, where she travelled as part of the ASTI Physical Rehabilitation Team earlier this year. The team comprised of herself, burns therapist Fiona Procter, and burns care nurse Marianne Carter. This is what RuthAnn had to say about her experience:

What I picked up in Pakistan was that the survivors had a passion for life despite terrible injuries. They loved caring for their appearance and looking in the mirror and having their photos taken with pride – this is not something insignificant when you consider that they have what the world would call major facial disfigurements. Unless the service to them was extremely special you would not have such a confident survivor who can be proud of how they look. Clearly they all want to improve the scars they have but those I saw were positive and confident. They all seemed proactive – they wanted to do something they did not want to sit around.

I learnt a lot from the way the ASF-P team worked and was run. The main thing was the open attitude all the staff had and the ability they had to be open to learning and suggestions of improving practice. Constructive criticism was embraced rather than taken personally because the clear aim of the team was to help the patient as much as possible rather than advance as individuals. As yet I have not found this open attitude and willingness to embrace change to such a degree anywhere else. The team were totally enthusiastic, open, amazingly keen and quick to learn. With such a culture and such a good team it would be a real missed opportunity to not follow up their learning and teach more. There is so much potential in the ASF – primarily because of the people who are part of the team. Also very impressive was the flat structure. There was a real working together and not clear hierarchy which for that culture is again something quite outstanding – all staff whatever grade mixed well together.

- What would further visits to ASF-Pakistan mean for the organisation, the survivors, and the community as a whole?

I think we need to check what learning has be incorporated into practice and knowledge, we need to assess what changes have occurred to the service and care as a result of learning and we need to progress the learning of knowledge and skills to the next level. I think the work the staff is doing is worthy of international attention so the fact that visitors are coming – and not just once but showing a commitment will be an encouragement and reinforce the value of their work. generally working with burn patients is not popular and is seen as unglamorous and dirty but the ASF had real pride in what they were doing and seemed to realise the significance of what they were doing – I would really like to encourage this and I think with more input real excellence can be achieved. management wise and human resources wise there is a lot of wealth in the organisation – clinical knowledge and skills is what lacks most – and it is far easier to address this then to address lack of motivation etc – so with little input big results are possible in this set up. The better the care – the better outcome for the survivors. because of the nature and effect of the injury the survivors need excellent outcomes to have any chance of normal life – or a life comparable to what life they had before they were burned, or if they had not been burned.

Dear all,

This is on! Acid Survivors Foundation has resumed its fund raising and awareness programme : with the cooperation of Adnan’s  Jehangir, we are conveying a message of peace and gender justice  through a universal language : arts.

Beyond borders and culture, art  is the link that will unite all humanists and change agents determined to bring sustainable development…

Join us for this unqiue moment !

Jean Loncle A French journalist, Valerie Khan Yusufzai and Rajprit ASTI communication officer in front of Nishtar hospital in Multan.

The same team talking to an acid retailer in Multan, Punjab.

ASF team doscussing the issue of acid violence in a village, in a family in which 31 family members were attacked with acid.

ASF team and one of ASF pro bono lawyer : Mr Rasheed Rehman.

Kindly visit this link.

www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2010statements/2392/

HRH The Princess Royal

Dr John Morrison, Founder of ASTI, with HRH The Princess Royal at the Acid Survivors Foundation, Bangladesh, 2000.

It gives us great pleasure to inform you that HRH The Princess Royal has agreed to be Patron of Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI). More to come……

Valerie Khan Yusufzai (ASF Chairperson) and Nazeraan, during a French baking lesson at Acid Survivors Foundation Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit.

Among the activities that are regularly practised in the Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit with the survivors, cooking is very much present, it is part of any human being’s daily routine and is essential in the process of developing one’s independance and sustainability. When Nazeeran faces the judge to ask to be granted her daughters’ custody in spite of being blind, she will be able to claim : “Not only can I feed my children and prepare their meals but I can also cook French cuisine for them!” .

Acid Survivors Foundation team enjoyed the “galette” and hopes that Nazeeran will prepare another one next month!

Mr. Khan has a sound grasp over State Bank Regulations regarding foreign exchange laws. He has been involved in advising American Express, US on issues pertaining to payment to residents in Pakistan in US dollars as well as issues relating to foreign remittances for a particular product they had wished to introduce in Pakistan.

Mr. Khan has also dealt with PTA for various issues and inquiries and have mostly liaised with their legal department.

Mr. Khan was also involved in an important project relating to map building and collection of data by a foreign client who had wished to come to Pakistan with a team of experts. Mr. Khan is an expert in due diligence procedure normally required in privatization matters and has been involved in the drafting and vetting of documentation/agreements required for setting up power projects.

Mr. Khan has a keen interest in developing and refining the legal framework within Pakistan which is vital for dispensing justice. Recently, Mr. Khan was invited to a consultative workshop held at Islamabad Margalla Motel soliciting comments and reviews on draft legislation for sexual harassment at workplace and domestic violence. Before a panel of stakeholders, Mr. Khan delivered a speech highlighting a number of shortcomings that were present in the said legislations and provided useful suggestions for revising the draft so as to remove certain imperfections in the said drafts.  Mr. Khan is also working closely with Acid Survivor’s Foundation, a non-governmental organization established to provide relief and support to acid burn victims and Sanjog, an organisation dedicated for protection of vulnerable children and their empowerment.

Mr. Khan is also a lecturer for business law at Management Development Institute at Islamabad which is affiliated with Thames Business School, Australia.

Mr Naveed Khan is one of our pro bono legal advisor. You wil find his profile above. We would like to avail this opportunity to thank him for his continuous valuable support!